Sam Thornally (1885-1938) My Granduncle on My Mother’s Side

Sam from a 1926 news article

Samuel Thornally was the youngest son of William Gilliat Thornally and Mary McGowan. He had three older brothers – Will Jr., Harry Melville, and John Roger, my grandfather. He also had an older sister Charlotte who died when Sam was thirteen and a younger sister, Rose Mary who outlived all her sibling by many years. You can find posts about each of Sam’s siblings on this blog.

Sam was born on October 18, 1885, in Fruit Vale – now part of the city of Oakland. Since his Irish mother was raised as a Catholic Sam was baptized on July 31, 1886, at St. Anthony’s Church on 16^th Avenue in the Fruit Vale neighborhood. According to Sam’s grandson, Randy Thornally, “Mary was not a practicing Catholic here in California per an arrangement with her husband, William Sr. …. William’s mother Mary Gilliat is probably descended from French Huguenots…. The Huguenots in France were never happy with the Catholics. The English were not particularly happy with the Catholics either, and finally split the English Catholic Church apart.” Randy continues, “My father Edwin Thornally thought his father Samuel was probably “sneaked” out of the house and baptized as “insurance.”

When Sam was fourteen he appeared on the 1900 census. At that time his family was living at 288 Bray Avenue in Fruit Vale which was considered part of the Brooklyn Township. Sam and his sister “Rosie” were attending school and all three of his older brothers aged 17, 21 and 24 were working. John as a painter and Will and Harry were carpenters, as was their father William Sr.

When Sam was seventeen his brother Harry married Blanche Wimble on June 16, 1903. Four months later his brother Will married Agnus Damm on October 29, 1903. In the 1904 City of Oakland directory, Sam was listed as a Seaman in the United States Navy. He was nineteen years old. While in the Navy Sam spent time in the Philippines and other countries in the Far East. Randy has vague recollections of having seen souvenirs that Sam brought home after his time in the Navy – some of which were destroyed during the 1991 Oakland firestorm. Sam was not listed in the 1905 directory which suggests he was still serving in the navy at that time, but he did appear again in 1906. Sam’s profession was listed as a carpenter in the 1907, 1908, 1910 and 1911 city directories. It is possible he was working with his brother Will who had established his business as a building contractor in 1905.

Sam standing at the left with a few of his Navy
 friends, circa 1904

When the census was taken in April of 1910 the family had moved to 1707 Fruitvale Avenue. Only Sam 23 and Rose 21 were still living at home. Sam was working as a carpenter and Rose was a stenographer for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

On June 29, 1911, Sam was appointed as a substitute patrolman in the Oakland police department. He was 25 at the time. On January 6, 1913, an article in the San Francisco Chronical reported that Sam was working as a motorcycle cop and he and his fellow officers had nabbed 27 speeders. Sam continued to serve on the Oakland police force until he was injured and had to leave the force in 1922. The injury was a burn to his eye with iodine that impaired his vision so much that they determined he could no longer do his job properly. During his time as an officer reports of Sam’s pursuits and arrests were written about and published in the Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Call and San Francisco Chronical newspapers. The post that follows this one recounts some of the cases that Officer Thornally was engaged in during his time with the Oakland Police Department.

Like his older brothers, Sam was involved in a variety of civic affairs. The earliest newspaper article I found that mentioned Sam was a story about his having attended a memorial service for members of the Native Sons of the Golden West. This was on November 7, 1910. The event took place at the Unitarian Church in downtown Oakland. On Feb. 17, 1911, Sam was again mentioned in a San Francisco Call article when the Fruitvale chapter of the Native Sons challenged the Piedmont chapter in some sort of competition.

Sam and Arjetta

Sam’s mother Mary Thornally died in January of 1912 when he was 26.  Later that same year Sam married Marie Arjetta Land on September 5^th. They were married at St. Elizabeth’s church in their Fruitvale neighborhood. Arjetta (1889-1934) was the daughter of Jennie Lee Land (1871-1946) and an unknown biological father. She was the granddaughter of Thomas Rease Land (1828-1891) and Jane "Jennie" Diana Carlton (1841-1877). 

Sam and Arjetta had six children. The first Samuel McGowan Thornally Jr. only survived three months but the other five lived full lives. They were Marie Arjetta (1915-1994) nicknamed Jerry, Margaret Cecilia (1918-1983), Edwin Joseph “Ed” (1921-2001), Vivian “Dee” (1923-2004), and Leland Francis “Lee” (1926-2008). All were born in Oakland, California.

Arjetta with Samuel Thornally Jr.

In 1913, the family was living at 1607 45^th Avenue. They were still at that address when Sam registered for the draft for World War I on September 12, 1918. Sam was 33 years old and described as having a medium build, medium height with blue eyes and light brown hair.

Like his brothers and sister Rose Sam owned one of the single-family homes that his brother Will Jr. built for each of the family members within the Thornally Tract. That was located on Redwood now 35^th Avenue on both sides of Bray Street aka Elm or East 17^th Street. I have not found any record proving that Sam ever lived in the home.

Sam's home in the Thornally tract

When the 1920 census was taken the family had moved back to 51^st Avenue but were now living in a home they owned at 1426. On the census, the household included Sam, his wife Marie, two daughters, Marie and Margaret and Sam’s mother-in-law Jennie Lee Land. Sam was identified as an Oakland policeman on that census.

Around 1923, after Sam was put on permanent disability from the Oakland Police Department he bought a bar and confectionary shop located in downtown Niles. My mother Lottie Pattillo recalled driving to Niles with her parents and having to wait in the car with her mother while her father John visited with Sam inside the bar. She enjoyed the drive but not the waiting. Sam and his business partner Cort Goeesel bought “The Classic” restaurant from Mrs. Etta M. Young in 1926. The news clip with this story says that Sam had been living in Niles, had moved back to Oakland but planned to return to Niles to run the restaurant. The article noted that the restaurant was being remodeled and would open the following week at the end of June. 1926 was ten years after Charlie Chaplin stopped making silent films in Niles.

Thornally home on 51st Avenue

Sam continued to operate the shop during prohibition that was in force from 1920-1933. Apparently, the bar was upstairs so out of sight. Sam had a friend Delphine Pesa who worked for the phone company. She could listen in to the police calls and would call and warn Sam whenever a police raid was about to take place. That is how he avoided being arrested for selling alcohol illegally. Around this time Sam and Marie were separated and Sam started dating Delphine but when Marie became pregnant with their youngest child Lee, Sam moved back in with Marie. Unfortunately, the marriage did not work out and ultimately they divorced.

An article published in the Oakland Tribune on May 5, 1926, reported, “Split on Religion. Sam Thornally told his wife she was a detriment to him because of her religion and declared he would break her will in that regard if it took 100 years, Mrs. Marie A. Thornally, 1426 51^st Avenue alleges in a suit for divorce.”

Arjetta, Sam and Marie

Sam was still listed in the Oakland directory in 1924 but in 1926 he moved to Niles and lived there until about 1929 when he returned to Fruitvale. A news headline tells us, “Sam’s back in town again and has joined the sales staff of the F.H. Dailey Motor Co., Eastlake Ford dealers. For several years past he has been in business at Niles but is back again in his old stomping ground, Fruitvale where he was born and spent his childhood days.” The story went on, “Sam has always been prominent in Fruitvale parlor Native Sons and was the first member elected to the office of marshal in that order. During one of those memorable Admission Day Celebrations in San Francisco, Sam led the boys’ band of St. Elizabeth’s church in the parade. The tallest boy in the band measured 31 inches and the trombone player was so small Sam had to carry him on his shoulders. And Sam and the band won first prize in the parade. Them were the happy days.” The F.H. Dailey Motor Company was founded in 1910 in Oakland and later opened a branch in San Leandro. F.H. Dailey still exists in 2018.

Thornally home at 1607 45th Avenue ca. 1913

Sometime before 1938 Sam moved his family to 3115 Kingsland Avenue in the Maxwell Park neighborhood near Mills College. This was a relatively new development that had begun construction in 1921. Sam was living in this home at the time of his death on March 4, 1938. He had a heart attack while driving the car with his family. His son Ed told me the story that he was in the back seat when it happened and Ed had to climb into the front seat to step on the brake and stop the car. Ed would have been 17 at the time.

Three of Sam's daughters plus a niece and granddaughter.
Marie, Lottie Pattillo, Vivian, Margaret, and Joey McKay

Sam married Delphine around 1929 and it is she that he is buried with at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. Their grave is near the caretakers shop very close to his brothers John and Will and their wives.

Family picnic - Standing L-R: Bert Pattillo, unknown woman, Ed & Lottie
Pattillo, Ricky Risoli (?), Dell Pesa, Sam, and Unknown man. Seated L-R:
John & Emma Thornally, Anna Pattillo, two unknown women.

Sam with Vivian and Lee